WM. G. PRAEGER. 147 
eliminate such namesfrom the books. All I protest against 
is pedantry on the one hand, and indifference on the other. 
The book-names have good reasons for being, and often 
mean a great deal. There is no bird at all like the American 
White-fronted Goose in this country, and therefore the long 
descriptive name is quite unnecessary for common use; 
“White-fronted” was given by European naturalists to 
distinguish Azser albifrons from several other geese of the 
same genus found in Europe, and then “ American ” was 
added to distinguish the variety found in this country. The 
Ring-necked Duck (the Blackjack of the ‘duck-hunters) was 
first described from a specimen found in Leadenhall Market, 
in London, in 1801 (Donovan, British Birds, VI. 1809, pl. 
147),* the only one of the kind I believe that has ever 
occurred in Europe ; it was not at the time known what part 
of the world the stranger had come from ; the rather incon- 
spicuous chestnut collar served to distinguish it from the 
Tufted Duck of Europe, which it closely resembles, and 
hence gave it both its specific name—coMaris, and its 
vernacular name—Ring-necked. . 
In vernacular names there is no harm in synonyms, and it 
is only by acknowledging them, and by using them, that 
we shall ever get a good popular nomenclature. Indeed 
there is something encouraging in a bird being known by 
several names, as it is the more familiar birds that have 
most names, and therefore, as birds become better known 
to the people, popular synonyms are likely to increase. 
Local names do no great harm, and are often pretty and 
interesting ; but by this I do not mean names locally misap- 
plied, as these are one of the greatest evils we have to contend 
* Mr. Praeger is correct in citing this case as that of the first published 
description, but he will be interested to learn that before Donovan’s 
specimen had been named and figured, the species was discovered 
by Captains Lewis and Clark, at Deer Island, on the Columbia River, 
in Oregon, March 28th, 1806; under which date the explorers give an 
excellent description in their original manuscripts: see my edition of 
Lewis and Clark, 1893, p. 888.—E. C. 
